Rivet feeding apparatus



Dec 25, 1962 J. J. ANDRYCHA ErAL 3,069,938

RIVET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March ll, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l cq V1 T @wyw Ik INVENTORS JOSQpJzJndJJ/cha, BY Thomash Spellen ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 2.5, 1962 J. J. NDRYCHA ErAL 3,069,9381

RIVET FEEDING APPARATUS Ad, hf, .5. 2 www Mm m mmm m mAE im .QM is w .hm M JWM B F` H.. NGE

Dec. 25, 1962 J; J. ANDRYHA Erm. 3,069,938

RIVET FEEDING APPARATUS 5 sheets-sheet s Filed March l1, 1957 i mn i mmm, ku/.WAH :2 Mm fox @0 Mm ATTORNEYS.

Dec- 25, 1962 .1.J. ANDRYCHA Erm. 3,069,938

RIVET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed March l1, 1957 n m www. w m A@ www im@ MM M, m www m5 De 25, 1962 J. J. ANDRYCHA r-:rAL 3,069,938

RIVET FEEDING APPARATUS Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 11, 1957 TOR. zycha, e//ef And INVEN Joseph BY Thoma/f @MQWQMQM ATTUPNEYS.

United States Patent Olitice 3,059,933 Patented Dec. Z5, i952 3,969,938 REJET BREEDING APPARATUS Joseph l. Andrycha and Thomas Irl. Speller, Bniialo,

NSY., assignors to General-Electro Mechanical Corporation Filed Mar. il, 1957, Ser. No. 645,263 ll Claims. (Cl. 7S--45) This invention relates to riveting machines and more particularly to means for orienting and feeding rivets or like headed fasteners to a desired point of use.

In the instance illustrated herein the orienting and feeding mechanism is shown in conjunction with an automatic or semi-automatic riveting machine of a type well known in the mechanical arts. Essentially, the riveting machine comprises a Cshaped frame which provides a gap for receiving work to be riveted with the upper arm of the frame having a rivet holding and bucking mechanism and the lower arm of the frame having a cooperating riveting hammer or anvil.

The present invention is concerned entirely with the rivet orienting and feeding mechanism and accordingly the disclosure herein is limited generally thereto. It is sufficient for present purposes to state that rivets are ultimately fed, by the means of the present invention, to the bucking member of the upper arm of the riveting machine with their axes extending vertically and with their heads uppermost, the rivets being fed laterally into rivet receiving and holding devices of the bucking ram, such receiving and holding devices devices being known in the riveting machine art.

The present invention is characterized generally by the fact that various sizes of rivets, both as to diameter and length, may be fed interchangeably and selectively without substantial alteration or set-up changes in the riveting machine or the feeding mechanism itself. Furthermore, the orienting and feeding mechanism of the present invention is simple, etlicient and economical of manufacture, particularly considering the varsatility and effectiveness thereof in feeding rivets of various sizes.

Various objects and advantages attendant upon the pursuance of the principles or" the present invention will appear to those skilled in the present art from a consideration of the embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification. However, it is to be understood than various mechanical modifications may be made in such exemplary embodiment without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a general front elevational view of one form of the rivet orienting and feeding mechanism of the present invention shown associated with the upper arm or bucking mechanism of a conventional riveting machine;

FIG. 2 is a general side elevational view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view generally similar to FIG. 2 but on a larger scale and with portions of the hopper shown in cross section;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. l and 3 but showing principally the transfer chute portion of the mechanism, the latter being shown in cross section;

FIG. 5 is an elevational View of the chute mechanism taken from the left of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view taken similarly to FIG. l but showing only the carriage portion of the hopper mechanism on an enlarged scale and partially in cross section;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view through the discharge portion of the hopper mechanism viewed similarly to FIG. 3 but on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is an oblique plan View of the discharge portion of the hopper of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross sectional view taken approximately on the line lX-IX of FIG. 7.

Speaking generally, the apparatus of the present invention involves a plurality of hopper devices designated generally by the numeral l5 and a plurality of chute devices designated generally by the numeral lr6. The hopper and chute devices are supported, in a manner which will presently be described in greater detail, against the upper arm or nose portion of a riveting machine indicated in dot and dash lines in the drawings and designated by the numeral 17. Such upper arm or nose portion d'7 supports and operates a rivet holding member l provided at the lower end of a rivet inserting and bucking mechanism i9.

The plurality of hoppers 15 contain rivets of different sizes, both as to diameter and length, and are movable from front to back of the machine so as to aline any desired hopper with the rivet holding member 118 of the riveting machine. In the form of the present invention illustrated herein by way of example, a given chute mechanism I6 will serve as a transfer means for feeding rivets of a given diameter but of various desired lengths from the hopper discharge portion to the rivet holder i8.

These chute mechanisms are likewise movable in a direction from front to back of the machine, that is in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the hoppcrs, to aline a desired chute mechanism with the rivet holder 13 of the machine so that such chute mechanism may coact between the alincd hopper and the rivet holder.

Ordinarily a lesser number of chute mechanisms will be required than the number of hoppers because of the ability of the chute mechinsms to handle rivets of various lengths. The present disclosure iliustrates, merely by way of example, eight hopper units and four chute mechanisms. Thus, for instance, the eight hopper units may contain rivets of four diameters, each diameter of two different lengths, while the four chute mechanisms will each accommodate one of the four diameters regardless of length.

The means which support the hoppers l5 for longitudinal `adjustment will now be described. A plurality of brackets 22 through 26 have xed thereto upper and lower parallel rails 27 and 28. The forward brackets Z2 are r'iXed to a plate or bar fill which projects forwardly from and is rigidly secured to the front of the upper arm or nose portion I7 of the machine. The remaining brackets 23 through 26 may be lixed directly to the Side wall of such upper arm or nose portion 17.

A carriage is mounted for movement along rails 27 and 28 and comprises a vertical base or mounting plate 34 having rollers 3S adapted to roll along the top of rail 27 and lateral rollers 36 adapted to roll along the side surfaces of lower rail 28.

A pair of vertically spaced horizontal rails ttl and il is xed to the face of plate 34 and a series `of registering openings extends through plate 3d and the rails lil and di for receiving screws 42 and i3 which engage a series of plates (ifi, each of which comprise one of the vertical walls of each of the hoppers ld. Thus, the series of hoppcrs carried by plate 34 may e moved fore and aft by movement of the rollers 35 and SI5 on the rails 27 and 2S to position any desired hopper in registry with the rivet holding member l of the riveting machine.

Suitable latching means are provided for holding the carriage in such position that any desired hopper i4 is in position for use. It will be noted that the underside of bottom rail 28 is notched as at 456 and the latching mechanism, illustrated in ilG. 6, comprises a latch bar 47 pivoted to a block 48 carried by plate 34. A spring E i9 urges latch bar 47 into engagement with a registering notch 46, latch bar t7 being movable to the dot and dash line position of FlG. 6 to permit adjusting movement of the hoppers by manual manipulation engagement of the depending portion of the latch bar 47.

@ne of the hopp-ers 15 will now be described, having reference particularly to FGS. l, 3, 7 and 9. As previously mentioned one vertical end wall of each hopper is formed by a relatively rigid plate d5. Each hopper has a pair of side walls 53 and S/ and an opposite end wall 55. r1`he side walls are shaped to provide a raised portion adjacent to end wall 55 and a vertical wall formation 57 completes the closure of such raised portion.

The bottom wall of the hopper is formed by a fined tl-shaped incliner portion 59 and a further V-shaped inclined portion 61 which is hinged to the fixed portion o@ as at 62. Rivets are placed in the hopper through the top of the raised portion thereof by lifting a hinged lid member 53, the rivets in the hopper being generally confined to the space beneath the lid 63 by a vertical wall member 55 which is slotted for vertical adjustment by means of screw and nut members 66 whereby the space below the bottom of wall member 65 may be adjustcd to permit a limited flow of rivets down the inclined member 61 into the space to the left of wall member 65.

Thus the adiustable wall member e5 serves as a metering plate for controlling the iiow of rivets down the inclined portion d1. A lower portion 53 of wall member 55 is hinged to the upper portion as at 69 to permit the same to be swung to the right as viewed in PEG. 3 for a purpose which will presently appear. When it is desired to empty the hopper, the inclined portion 51 is dropped about i hinge 52 by release of a spring retaining clip ed. c eupon rivets will iiow out of the right hand end of t hopper, as viewed in HG. 3. Rivets in the left hand art of the hopper may also be removed by lifting a hinged cover 71 and reaching down to push the rivets on inclined portion 611 over onto the lowered chute portion During this operation the hinged portion 55 of wall no may move to the right as viewed in HG. 3 to facilitate the clearing out process.

The fired inclined bottom wall portion ed has a central lo udinal `slot through which a vertical plate member 7@ passes in closely iitting relationship. The upper edge of plate 7@ is inclined at same angle as bottom wall and when plate 7d is in its lowermost position it substantially closes the slot in bottom wall et) and forms in effect a continuation of the latter, as shown in FIG. 3.

Guides 74 and 75 fixed to the hopper wall structure guide plate 7d for veiacal sliding movement for effecting delivery of rivets. The upper inclined edge of plate 75 is grooved as at 76 in FiG. 9 and, since a controllable pile of rivets rests upon inclined bottom wall @il in normal operation, movement of the grooved upper edge of plate 7i? upwardly through the supply of rivets on bottom wall (rtl results in some rivets being picked up by the upper edge of a ate 75 with the shanks of the rivets extending downwa... y in groove 75, as indicated in dot and dash lines at A in FIG. 7.

Rivets which are not picked up in this position upon upward movement of plate 'Fil merely fall off of the upper edge cf plate 75. Thus each upward movement of plate 71B results in a random number of rivets being oriented more or less as indicated at A in FIG. 7 for transfer to a hopper delivery c' ate member designated generally by the numeral Sil in FG. 7.

Vertical reciprocation of the plate 70 of each hopper 15 for operation in the foregoing manner is brought about by a vertical lifter rod 51 which slides in bearings S2 and S3 fixed to wall 45 of each hopper 15 and the lifter rod 81 of each hopper has a head formation S5 at its upper end for engagement in a T-slot groove 56 formed at the lower end of a single lifter device 87 which is fixed to the machine generally in alinement with the rivet inserting and bucking mechanism 19 and serves the lifter rods 81 of any individual hopper when such hopper is in operating position. The lifter device 37 forms a part of a lifter mechanism best shown in FIG. l and there designated generally by the numeral 9).

The lifter mechanism 9tl comprises a fluid pressure cylinder 92 fixed to a bracket 93 secured to the side of the upper arm portion 17 of the machine. A piston operating within cylinder 92 has a downwardly projecting piston rod 91 and lifter device 87 is slidably mounted upon the lower end of piston rod 91. An extension coil spring 94 normally retains the lifter device 87 at the upper limit of its sliding movement relative to the piston rod 91.

From the foreging, it will be seen that fluid pressure which urges the piston of cylinder 92 upwardly lifts the engaged lifter rod S1. In the case of jamming of the parts or unusual resistance to such lifting movement the piston rod 91 moves upwardly without further raising lifter device 87 whenever the force of spring 9d is overcome. by a resistance to raising of rod 51 or any of the parts fixed thereto. Lifter rod S1 is fixed to the lower end of knife 70 as by means of a bracket 95 which is attached to the lower end of rod 81 and adjustably connected to the lower end of knife 70.

A horizontal plate 96 is fixed to piston rod 91 and lifter device 57 to move therewith and has an upwardly projecting rod 97 which has play connection with a conventional four-way valve (not shown) which is located at the upper end of cylinder 92, whereby vertical reciprocation of rod 97 with lifter device S7 reverses the four-way valve 98 at each end of the stroke of the lifter device to continuously reciprocate knife 70.

A conventional two-way valve 99 is mounted on one of the brackets which support plate 3d and is adapted to be engaged by plate 96 at the lower extremity of the stroke of piston rod 91 to produce a momentary flow of air under pressure for a purpose which will presently be described.

Reference will be had now to the hopper delivery chute member previously designated generally by the numeral 80, the same being shown in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. Chute 8G comprises a block 1th) which is fixed in an opening in plate 55 of each hopper 15` and inclines downwardly and toward the riveting mechanism of the machine. Block 1th) is provided with a longitudinal slot 101 in its upper surface and rivets raised to the position indicated at A in FIG. 7 by movement of knife 70 to its upper limit position slide from groove 76 of knife 7i] into slot 101.

A plate 102. is fixed to block lili) but spaced slightly thereabove to allow clearance for the heads of rivets sliding down slot 101. The upper end of plate 102 is flared as at 103 to facilitate entry of rivets thereinto and a blower tube 195 has its discharge end directed into the flaring mouth thus formed as shown in FIG. 7. At the end of each downward movement of knife 70 a blast of air discharges from tube 105 to blow the two or three rivets at the upper end of slot 101 back into the hopper. This blast of air is provided by operation of valve 99 (FIG. l) which has previously been described.

Thus any rivets which are not properly oriented in this Haring mouth portion are removed, even though properly oriented rivets in such mouth portion are also removed in each cycle of movement of knife 70. lf slot 101 has room to receive rivets downwardly past the flared portion and if such rivets are properly oriented they will slide down below the discharge point of tube 105 before the foregoing blast of air issues therefrom.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a block 19S is fixed to the lower or outer end of block 1Go by screws 169 and a plate is held between these two blocks for lateral sliding movement, plate 110 being horizontally slotted to clear the screws 109 during such lateral sliding movement. Plate 11@ is provided with end flanges 111 and 112 which are shown in the plan View, FIG. 8. A compression coil spring 113 acts between flange. 111 and block 10S to urge plate 11h to the position illustrated in FIG. 8.

Block 103 is bored to receive a piston member 114 which is adapted to be acted upon by an air pressure connection 115. Block is further provided with a downward bore 115 which opens downwardly into a tubular chute member 130 which will be described more fully in conjunction with the description of the final delivery or rivet transfer apparatus, the chute 131i being a part of the chtite mechanism previously generally designated by the numeral 16.

It will be noted that plate 11@ is provided with a continuation of the slot 101 of block 101i, such continuation being of just enough length to accommodate the diameter of one rivet shank. Upon application of air pressure through connection 115, piston 114 moves upwardly as viewed in FIG. 8, acting against flange 112 of plate 110 to move the rivet in the slot of plate 11i)` into alinement with bore 116, whereupon the rivet in such slot falls into the bore 116 and downwardly into tubular chute member 130. Thus single rivets are delivered from the hopper delivery chute member 30 to chute 130 of the chute mechanism 16 in timed relation With the operation of the riveting machine.

We will now direct our attention to the chute mechanisms designated generally by the numeral 16. A group of chute mechanisms as employed in the present instance is illustrated in FIG. 5 as viewed from the side of the machine opposite to the side against which the hoppers are mounted. FIG. 4 shows one of the chute mechanisms of FlG. 5 in vertical cross section,

The several chute mechanisms are fixed to a plate 125 which is mounted for horizontal sliding movement against the bottom of a bracket 12a which is screwed or otherwise fastened to the `framework of the riveting machine, as appears best from FlGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Each chute mechanism includes a horizontal mounting member 128 and a vertical bracket 129 fixed thereto, the latter serving to support the tubular chute member 130 which has previously been described and leads from the discharge portion Si? of an alined hopper to an outer enlarged portion 131 of the body member 128` of the chute mechanism. The outer enlarged portion 131 is grooved as at 132 in FIG. 5 and rivets discharged from the hopper chute pass points foremost down the tubular chute member 13? and into groove 132 as shown at B in FIG. 4.

A knife or bar member 134 which is slidable in the groove 132 is attached to a piston member 135 which is slidable in a bore in member 123 and application of air pressure through a tube 138 against the adjacent end of piston 135 moves knife member 134 to the left as viewed in F1G. 4 against the resistance of an extension coil spring 139, This pushes the rivet shown at B outwardly of the groove 132 and into the rivet receiving member 18 of the riveting mechanism.

ri`he tubes 138 for supplying operating air to act against the several pistons 135 of the foregoing ejector mechanisms are all connected to a horizontal manifold tube 14@ which is mounted on bracket 129 and accordingly moves horizontally with the chute mechanisms. A valve rod 141 is mounted upon bracket 126 as shown in FIG. 2 and is provided interiorly of manifold tube 141i with spaced valve spools, the spools being disposed so that the space therebetween registers with a particular tube 13S when the latter is in alinement with the rivet receiving member 18. Operating air passes through a central bore in valve rod 141, thence radially outwardly between the spools to the particular tube 138.

A tiat spring member 142 extends into the paths of rivet heads passing from the slot 132 to the rivet receiving member 13 to retard passage thereto so that rivets will not accidentally pass to the left through slot 132 but will be discharged therefrom only under positive action of knife member 134.

A leaf spring member 144 extends .along the top of bracket 126, being fixed thereto at one end as at 145 in FIG. 5 and having a handle portion 146 at its other end. A depending pin 147 is fixed to leaf spring 144 at its upper end and passes through an aperture in bracket 126 and into a recess in the upper surface of plate 125 as shown in FIG. 4. This locates the particular chute mechanism 16 shown in FIG. 4 in alignment with the rivet receiving member 18. The upper surface of plate 125 is provided with a series of recesses for receiving pin 147' so that any of the chute mechanisms 16 shown in FIG. 5 may be aligned with the rivet receiving member 18 as desired.

The valve 99, as previously described, operates in timed relation with the piston rod 91 to supply a blast of air to the blower tube 1115. A manifold valve arrangement similar to that designated 14@ and described in connection with the operation of knife member 134 may be interposed between valve 99 and the connection to tube 1115. The operation of lifter mechanism 9@ is not necessarily in synchronism with the operation of the riveting machine but is adjusted to supply rivets in adequate number by manual valve adjustment of the pressure supply to cylinder 92. The successive blasts from the blower tube 1115 are automatically synchronized with operation of the piston rod 91.

A manifold valve arrangement similar to that designated 14@ may also be employed to automatically connect the fluid connection of the rivet feed means of the properly aligned hopper with the source of iiuid supply. In this case the source of fluid supply to the appropriate connection 115 is synchronized with the operation of the riveting mechanism, as by a conventional cam operated valve acted upon by any convenient moving part of the riveting machine proper, so that the rivet feeding piston 114 operates once for each. riveting operation and in synchronism therewith.

We claim:

l. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets successively for insertion and riveting, feed mechanism for selectively delivering rivets of selected sizes to such receiving means, said feed mechanism comprising a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alinement with said receiving means, and means likewise .attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices for movement in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means.

2. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets successively for insertion and riveting, feed mechanism for selectively delivering rivets of selected sizes to such receiving means, said feed mechanism comprising a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths7 carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, each hopper device including a reciprocable rivet feed means including an operating member, a

single relatively stationary motor means for operating the several hopper device feed operating members, said motor means and the operating members of each hopp-er device having means engageable by and upon movement of a hopper device to said position of alignment for rendering the operating member of said aligned hopper device effective for feeding rivets, and means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices for movement in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper dev'ces and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispo-se a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means.

3. in combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets successively for insertion and riveting, feed mechanism for selectively delivering rivets of selected sizes to such receiving means, said feed mechanism comprising a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of different sizes, and carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, each hopper device including a reciprocable rivet feed means including an operating member, and a single relatively stationary motor means for operating the several hopper device feed operating members, said motor means and the operating members of each hopper device havin'y means engageable by and upon movement of a hopper device to said position of alignment for rendering the operating member of said aligned hopper device effective for feeding rivets.

4. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets successively for insertion and riveting, feed mechanism for selectively delivering rivets of selected sizes to such receiving means, said feed mechanism comprising a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, said plurality of hopper devices being mounted for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in a predetermined operative position relative to said receiving means, and means likewise attached to the riveting machine and -mounting said transfer devices for jo-int movement in a line lying between the line of movement of the hopper devices and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter in operative position between said selected hopper device and the receiving means.

5. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets successively for insertion and riveting, feed mechanism for selectively delivering rivets of selected sizes to such receiving means, said feed mechanism comprising a plurality of `hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, said plurality of hopper devices being mounted for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in -a predetermined operative position relative to said receiving means, each hopper device including a reciprocable rivet feed means including an operating member, a single relatively stationary motor means for operating the several hopper device feed operating members, said motor means and the operating members of each hopper device having means engageable by and upon movement of a hopper device to said predetermined operative position for rendering the operating member of said selected hopper device effective for feeding rivets, and means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices for joint movement in a line lying between the line of movement of the hopper devices and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter in operative position between said selected hopper device and the receiving means.

6. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatcally inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from an aligned hopper device to the interposed transfer device, and other means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from the aligned transfer device to the rivet receiving means of the riveting mechanism.

7 In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatcally inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line oifset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, and means operating in timed lrelation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from an aligned hopper device to the interposed transfer device.

8. ln combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatically inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset lfrom said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, and means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from the aligned transfer device to the rivet receiving means of the riveting mechanism. Y

9. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatically inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, fluid pressure means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from an aligned hopper device to the interposed transfer device, other fluid pressure means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from the aligned transfer device to the rivet receiving means of the riveting mechanism, and valve means automatically positionahle by and upon adjusting movement of the hopper devices and the transfer devices for rendering the fluid pressure means of the aligned devices operative.

10. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatically inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets from the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a line oifset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said transfer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, uid pressure means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from an aligned hopper device to the interposed transfer device, and valve means automatically positionable by and upon adjusting movement of the hopper devices for rendering the fluid pressure means of the aligned hopper device operative.

11. In combination with a riveting machine having a riveting mechanism including means for receiving rivets and for automatically inserting and riveting the same, a plurality of hopper devices each adapted to contain rivets of a given diameter and length and a plurality of transfer devices for transferring rivets fr-om the hopper devices to the receiving means, each transfer device being adapted to transfer rivets of a given diameter but of various lengths, carriage means attached to the riveting machine and mounting said plurality of hopper devices for joint movement along a liine offset from said receiving means to dispose any selected hopper device in alignment with said receiving means, means likewise attached to the riveting machine and mounting said trans fer devices in a line parallel to the line of movement of the hopper devices and between the latter and said receiving means to selectively dispose a transfer device for the proper rivet diameter between the aligned hopper device and the receiving means, fluid pressuure means operating in timed relation with the riveting mechanism for delivering individual rivets from the aligned transfer device to the rivet receiving means of the riveting mechannism, and valve means automatically positionable by and upon adjusting movement of the transfer devices for rendering the fluid pressure means of the aligned transfer device operative.

References ited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 959,918 Campbell May 31, 1910 1,462,629 Whitaker July 24, 1923 1,536,833 Fagan May 5, 1925 2,085,615 Taylor June 29, 1937 2,360,991 Ward Oct. 24, 1944 2,540,604 Van Sittert Feb. 6, 1951 2,750,819 Gapstur June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 262,606 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1949 

